Mr Mom and Superwoman
by avegadro
Summary: Harold needs help.
1. Chapter 1

**-Author's note: I loved Leila, and I loved watching Harold play Mr. Mom. But what if he needed help and John was busy? Who else knows what to do with babies? Anyway, I ship Cinch hard (Carter-Finch) because Carter with John is just so obvious to everyone, and I've never been accused of being like everyone else. Don't get me wrong, I love the strong friendship between Joss and John, and I'll use it here, but it's just too... I don't know, but I like cannons. So here's the cannon. Please let me know of any grammatical errors, or if anyone has any pointers for me (I'm new at this publishing thing). **

**I own nothing...-**

"Come on, you have to eat. Open wide! Here comes the airplane!" Harold was sitting at his desk with Leila in her green and yellow high chair next to him. Bear was patiently waiting for something to drop onto the floor for him. John was tailing the newest number and Leila was pitching a fierce fit.

"Oh, I need help. This is just a little too much. Mr. Reese, I'll be out with Leila for a bit. I need to take care of some… errands." Harold looked at Leila with a curious expression before he hoisted himself up from his "ergonomic" computer chair to gather the extensive list of items an infant might require during a trip outside. Meanwhile, Bear was following Harold right at his heels, a habit that Harold was starting to abhor.

"Bear, sit." He immediately sat. "There is no way I can take you and Leila with me. It's just too much."

Harold put Leila's diaper bag together and strapped on the Baby Buggy. He readied a bottle for the grumpy infant and put her into the Buggy but not without a struggle.

"Leila, I need you to cooperate. Stop- stop kicking!" Harold practically had to tie the toddler down to get her into the holster. He threw the diaper bag over his shoulder and headed for the door. Bear followed close behind with his leash in his mouth. When Harold stopped at the door Bear dropped the leash at his feet. Harold could only sigh in defeat as he held his hand out for Bear to put the leash in it. He had to admit that Bear was something special and that he'd barely even notice the dog was going along with him.

He took the elevator to the exit of the head quarters that was deceptively under construction. Leila was happily sucking on the bottle and Bear was trotting along peacefully. Harold could only imagine how he looked to passersby. Here was a man in his 50's with a limp carrying a 6 month old and walking a trained canine assassin. He couldn't dwell on his situation too long as he made his way through the streets of New York.

Finally Harold ended up at the 8th Precinct of the NYPD. He found a nearly clean bench out front and retrieved his cell phone from his suit pocket. He dialed the number he had memorized so carefully. It rang twice before the tired voice of Joss Carter answered. His breath hitched as she said her standard greeting.

"Carter." Came her overworked, stern voice.

"Detective." Harold greeted just as curtly. He could hear her groan before she proceeded.

"Mr. Finch. What can I do for you today?" To anyone else's ears her tone would sound annoyed but Harold knew that she got a slight rush from helping the eccentric billionaire and their mutual friend. His lips twitched into a small smile.

"I need your help with something… personal." He knew she would start asking him twenty questions so he continued before she had the chance.

"Do you have a moment to discuss the matter? I'm near the station." He heard her usual even breathing speed up ever so slightly. "What exactly do you need help with?" Of course she was weary, he was being vague, which is usually a bad sign from him. "I'll explain it to you, rather show you, in person." That got the Detectives attention; she stood up from her desk and put her coat on.

"Where should we meet?"

"How about the benches out front, say now."

"On my way." Harold hung up and sighed. He glanced down at the unusually quiet infant. She was asleep, and drooling, with the bottle dangerously hanging over the edge of the carrier. Bear was sitting on alert at Harold's feet. He watched the city passing by with his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth. Harold heard the sound of heels clicking on the pavement behind him. He twisted his upper back to get a glance behind him. Sure enough, Detective Carter was making her way towards the bench inhabited by the strange looking man in glasses. She had a sour look on her face as she approached but as soon as Harold stood and turned to face her, her expression brightened.

"Leila! What a surprise!" She cooed and awed at the gurgling infant, now alert and eager to please Joss.

"May I?" Joss held out her hand to signal that she wanted to hold Leila, Harold obliged. "Of course, here." Harold unsnapped some buckles and soon Leila was squirming happily in the detective's arms.

"Oh, you have grown! Look at you, so beautiful!" Harold watched the scene before him with great amusement. Joss seemed alive as she held the baby girl and the toddler seemed so at ease in her arms.

"If only she were that nice to me." Joss shifted Leila to one hip to talk to Harold. "What's going on? Is she giving you a hard time?" Joss was being serious but she couldn't help but smile at a wriggling Leila. "I'm afraid it's more than a hard time." He started walking with Joss swiftly catching up. "It's more like a constant fight with her. She won't eat her strained food; she won't stay still for her diaper change, she cries, she screams. I seem to be overwhelmed with this new job. It was fine when we only had her a week but now that I watch her almost all day with small breaks with John I can't even think straight." They had stopped walking and were facing one another. Joss had stopped smiling at Leila and was listening intently to what Harold was saying. She knew how hard raising a baby was with two parents; she could only imagine what it was like for one person to do it.

"What can I do?" She asked, sensing that was the reason he was at her precinct and not something number related. Harold was immediately relieved. He was beginning to feel a little embarrassed about needing help with Leila but Joss had a way of making him feel relaxed. Joss turned her attention back to Leila when the infant had started to tug on her gold hoop earring. "Stop that, baby." She quickly pulled the earring out of her ear and slipped it into her coat pocket. Leila just gurgled and watched Joss's face. "You are too precious." Joss gave Leila a peck on the top of the baby's soft head. Harold watched them with great happiness and knew that he had come to the right person.

"I need help taking care of her. And John-" Joss held up her hand to stop him.

"Say no more. I know he's saved Leila before but I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I knew I said no and that man would be responsible for her." Joss gave Harold an exasperated sigh and smiled at him. Harold just looked relieved. "And besides, I love seeing this little bug." She smiled down at Leila, who was trying to wriggle out of Joss' hold and reach for Bear at the same time. A thought passed through Joss. "What about work? What do I tell them?" Harold tilted his head in understanding. "Don't worry about that, I'll take care of it." Joss furrowed her brows suspiciously. "I don't know if I like the sound of that." "Please, Detective, don't worry."

"Call me Joss." She smiled at him.

"Call me Harold." He reciprocated.

"Call me hungry, where are we eating today?" The unsuspecting duo jumped in surprise at the appearance of Fusco, who was already stuffing a donut into his face. "Got a call, partner. Homicide on 78th, two college students."

Joss' happy demeanor instantly shifted into her cold, emotionally guarded cop persona. She handed Leila back to Harold and scratched Bear's ear.

"I'm sorry Harold, I've got to go." She looked at him apologetically. Harold had a bit of a struggle getting Leila to go back into her carrier, and Joss stepped forward to help. The two held her down and strapped her in as she started to throw a crying fit. Harold gave Joss a look as if to say 'This is what I'm talking about!' and Joss shook her and smiled.

"What time should I be the- where exactly do I need to be?" Joss realized that she didn't even know where the man lived. She knew where one of his aliases lived, but he surely didn't live there full time. Harold raised an eyebrow, more at himself than at her question. He was usually more thorough than this, and now he found himself standing there without a clue.

"I'll pick you up at your place tomorrow morning" That bought him enough time to decide where he would ask her to come. He inwardly sighed to himself in relief. "Sounds good. See you tomorrow." "Later, Finch." The two detectives turned and walked to their squad car leaving Harold standing in the street with a crying infant and a drooling dog.

"What was that about?" Fusco asked, cleaning off the remaining donut from his fingers. Joss rolled her eyes as she started the engine. "He needs help with Leila. Not that it's any of your business." Fusco held his hands up in defense "Whoa. I was just askin'. What's up with the little angel? She too much for glasses?" He was turned towards her as well as he could. She faced him and sighed. "Harold is just stressed. I'm going to help him by taking care of Leila with him. You know how difficult babies are." "You don't have to tell me twice." His face looked as if he was reliving all of the traumatizing memories of parenting a newborn. "What about work?" Joss turned and looked out of the windshield. She trained her eyes on a pedestrian and answered, "He said he'd take care of it…" "Uh-oh. " "I know." When the pedestrian had successfully crossed the street she pulled the car out of the spot and drove towards the crime scene.

Harold left the station feeling a little dazed, the way he usually felt after an interaction with Detective Carter. He figured that now was as good a time as any to figure out where she would help him with Leila. There was no way she could know about the headquarters or the machine. He had to keep her safe from all of that.

The building situation had never been a problem for him. In fact, Harold rather liked living in a different house every few months, but with a baby that he was responsible for now he had to make his life more stable. Things were going to have to change for Leila's sake, a fact that he didn't really want to admit. Working with John was always going to have risks, of course, but there had to be a way to minimize them. That was something he was going to have to figure out later, right now he just needed a place that Leila could think of as home, for now at least. Harold caught a cab on back to headquarters. He slipped the cabbie a hundred dollar bill and hobbled up the steps to the front door. He did a quick check to make sure no one was watching and slipped in, locking the door behind him. Though it looked like it was under construction, he still got a few drifters and clerks sniffing around from time to time. Stepping off of the elevator, he unhooked Bears leash and the dog went lumbering to his water dish, happily sloshing water onto the floor. This was exactly the reason there happened to be a floor mat and a towel under the bowl. Leila was cooing and gurgling to herself, seeming to have a conversion with herself.

Harold placed her in her playpen and handed her a worn doll, which she promptly shook in her small fist. Harold's lips twitched into a small smile before turning around and slowly seating himself in the abomination of a computer chair. His fingers swiftly keyed in he daily password and he opened a file he had saved containing the addresses of the various properties he owned. He had organized the list based on function; business, residential, etc. His eyes scanned the document quickly until he had found the place he was looking for.

**-This is one of my many plot bunny babies hopping in my head driving me loony so I had to release it out into the world. But, isn't Leila is just so freaking cute!-**


	2. Chapter 2

Joss' alarm blared to life, waking her out of the best sleep she had gotten in days. She groaned and reached over to shut off the stupid thing. She threw off the sheets and instantly regretted it. The chill of early morning immediately seized her and she cursed under her breath. Yawning and stretching, she sat up in her queen-sized bed. Joss took the moment to look over her mess of a room. Work had been, well, interesting, and she just hadn't had the time to pick up. Renee, Joss' mother, was none too happy with the look of her daughter's apartment as of late, but she could understand. Joss slipped out of bed and into her lavender silk robe and fuzzy slippers. Her kitchen had been spared from the tornado that had apparently torn through the apartment, and she brewed herself a strong pot of coffee. It was 6:30 and time for her teenaged son to wake up. As she started towards his room she almost jumped out of her skin when he opened his door and emerged fully dressed.

"Boy, you almost gave me a heart attack!" Her hand had flown to her chest, trying to slow her heart down. Taylor grinned at his mom, and kissed her on the cheek.

"Sorry mom, good morning."

"Mm-hmm. I knew I taught you well." She smiled at her son proudly. "What would you like for breakfast, baby?" She started poking through the fridge.

"I can't stay mom, I have to go to tutoring." He tried to keep a straight face.

"Tutoring? What are you not telling me?" She was unsuccessfully trying to keep her cool.

"I'm helping someone with their calculus." Joss' face showed her instant relief, then her frustration at her son.

"Taylor! You should have said that!"

"I know mom, love you." He threw over his shoulder as he lumbered out of their apartment.

"I love you, too!" She called after him, even though the door was already closed. She sighed and turned back to the fridge. Nothing. She closed the door and poured a cup of coffee, taking a careful sip and letting the steam caress her face. She leaned against her counter and shook her head at her son. That boy was something else. Her cell phone buzzed to life on the table and she carefully set her cup down. She recognized the number but her sleep-bogged mind didn't allow her to register it.

"Good morning, Detective." His voice was unusually chipper.

"Harold. Good morning, yourself." She flashed a smile and just as quickly stopped. What was she doing?

"I hope you haven't had breakfast yet. I took the liberty of ordering something for you from a great little coffee shop I know." She could hear Leila in the background, laughing.

"Wow, thank you, Harold. That was very kind." She was playing with her hair like a nervous teenager.

"Think nothing of it. You are doing me the biggest of favors, breakfast was the least I could do. By the way, it should be arriving any moment now." The doorbell rang. Joss looked at the door in disbelief. "Harold, you were right, can you hold on for a second?" "Absolutely." She put the phone on the table and tied her robe, making sure to cover all of her lady goods up. She opened the door to find a scrawny kid with a thin mustache holding a very fancy take-out box.

"Joss Carter? This is for you." He held the box out to her. She took it and gave him a huge smile and a thank you. When he turned to leave, she called out after him "Wait! Don't I need to pay you?" He slowed down and uttered "Nah.", then chuckled to himself. Joss looked around her hallway incredulously then went back to the phone. "I've already paid the young man, Detective. I'm sure he is quite pleased with his tip." Her eyes widened.

"Oh. Well, thank you, again, Harold."

"You are quite welcome, Joss." He hung up, leaving her to eat her breakfast. The box it was delivered in was a glossy black; the inside was insulated to keep the food warm. Joss was completely blown away when she lifted a silver serving platter, complete with lid, out of the box. There was even a full sized utensil set. She placed the platter in front of her chair and lined the utensils next to it, just like her mother had taught her. She smiled down at her handiwork, and seated herself. Taking a deep breath and preparing herself for the worst possible breakfast, she lifted the lid. To her surprise, and delight, Harold had ordered her a spectacular breakfast. There was fruit, bacon, sausage, eggs benedict, waffles, and 2 different kinds of syrup. Joss laughed at the sheer amount of food.

"Who is this man?" Joss asked out loud.

Meanwhile, Harold was still moving his things in before Joss arrived. The absolute first thing he did was get Leila's room decorated. He gave some upper west side decorator an obscene amount of money to have the house livable overnight. To his amazement that morning he walked into the house to find that she had done a spectacular job. The designer had turned the shell of a brownstone into a sprawling, contemporary midtown home. Harold carried the infant through the house, pointing out the different objects and furnishings. Leila's door had her name strung across it in pink and purple wooden letters. Pink wasn't his first color choice, but she was a baby girl after all, pink was inevitable. He turned the antique brass knob to open the door. The door opened to reveal a toddler treasure trove. The walls were a subtle yellow, the furniture was white and one wall was floor to ceiling bookshelves, a feature that Harold was quite fond of. The bookshelf was full of books, toys, pictures, and various knick-knacks.

"This is your room, Leila." He told the baby as he walked around the room to show her. Her eyes were glued to his face as he spoke to her, in wonder. There was small sock monkey sitting on a shelf next to a picture of Leila and John he had given the designer. He picked it up and made it dance for Leila. Her big blue eyes lit up as watched and finally reached for it. Bear bounded into the room carrying his leash in his mouth, and dropped it at Harold's feet.

"I have something even better for you, sir." Harold said down to the dog. He walked out with Leila still secure in his arms, and Bear close behind. He led the Malinois to the back door and opened it to reveal a landscaped paradise for Bear. The dog looked up at Finch for permission.

"It's alright, go."

The dog took off, sniffing and running everywhere. He immediately began to mark his territory; being an unaltered male this was pretty important. Leila shrieked and squirmed out of Harold's grasp. He sat the infant on a patch of grass and watched her marvel at it. Harold smiled to himself and knew that this house would be quite sufficient.


	3. Chapter 3

**-Author's note: Hey! Thank you guys for the support! I know the last chapter was short but I had a little block. This one's a little longer, hopefully you guys like it!-**

Joss placed the last piece of cantaloupe on her tongue and debated whether or not she could actually physically eat it. She had eaten every single morsel of food on her plate except for the bacon; she was saving that for Bear. Joss was a fat girl trapped in a skinny girls body and she could put it away. She chewed the cantaloupe despite being on the verge of exploding. _I could be on Man vs. Food_, she thought dryly, pushing away from the table to start getting ready. Her hips popped as she stood, eliciting a grown from the small woman. She was a smart woman, she knew she was close to the proverbial hill, but she wasn't about to let her self admit it.

The bathroom looked just as bad as the rest of the apartment with her hair products and dirty clothes scattered throughout the small room. The only part that had any semblance of order was her make-up. She dabbed on her favorite foundation and lightly brushed on some neutral eye shadow. She leaned into the counter to do her mascara, absentmindedly parting her lips. A coat of clear gloss later and she looked fresh and ready for the day. Only one problem: her clothes. What the hell was she supposed to wear? Harold was always so immaculately dressed, she felt like she needed to impress him, but she was going to be spending the day with a gurgling, slobbering, puking infant. She flicked off the bathroom light and trudged to her closet. She opened the louvered doors and stared blankly at the color-coded sea of clothes. Joss wondered if Harold would be wearing his signature attire even though they were going to be playing house together. After pulling out all of her most comfortable slacks, she gave up on the idea of dressing to impress and went to her dresser for her most worn out, comfortable pair of jeans ever, and her ratty old Howard sweatshirt. She hadn't worn these two items together since Taylor was a kid but she would be comfy as hell in them so to hell with what people thought. As she was pulling on her jeans her phone buzzed to life on the kitchen table telling her that she had gotten a text. Probably from Fusco, that man was a pain, a cute, adorable, pug-ish kind of pain.

"Dammit Fusco." She mumbled under her breath as she stomped off to the kitchen, her jeans still unbuttoned. Lifting the offending device, she saw that she actually had a text from an unknown number, read: Harold.

"Whenever you are ready, my car is waiting out front." He really had freaky timing. Her hands deftly closed her jeans, grabbed her phone and purse, and closed the door behind her, being sure to lock it. A black Lincoln Town Car was parked in front of her building's steps, a burly man with short blonde hair leaned against it with his arms folded.

"Good Morning, ma'am." He greeted as he opened the backseat door for her. She didn't even get a chance to respond he shut the door so quickly. This man was used to being discreet, she guessed. The driver expertly maneuvered through the crazy streets of Manhattan, taking her to god knows where. Her phone buzzed, startling her. Fusco.

"Have fun with Glasses, partner. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Joss rolled her eyes and stuffed the phone back in her jeans. Dammit Fusco.

The town car rolled to a stop in front of a cute two-story brownstone. The driver swiftly got out and opened her door. She cautiously walked up the steps and raised her hand to knock when the door swung open. Standing there was Harold, dressed perfectly as usual, but not in a suit. He wore a grey and red checked button up with a dark charcoal gray cardigan, with the sleeves were rolled up, reminiscent of her first meeting with Harold as Burdett. His pants were tan corduroys and he had on a pair of dark brown Clark's. He wasn't in a masterfully tailored suit but Joss couldn't help but note that he looked very, very good. She pulled her eyes away from him to Leila, sitting regally in his arms. Joss' face lit up, as Leila seemed to recognize her and held her chubby little arms out to the detective.

"Good morning, Detective." Harold's own eyes drifted down Joss' body and took in her college casual outfit. Her jeans seemed made just for her toned legs, as they gently clung to her curves. He could feel the tips of his ears blushing, so he pealed his eyes away from her. He nodded to his driver and the car sped away. Joss barely noticed as she kissed and cooed at the infant.

"Hi Harold. I hope you don't mind being seen with me in these old rags, but I just couldn't bring myself to dress up." Joss held Leila tight as she apologized, the words coming out like water out of a faucet. He made her nervous standing there watching her so intently. Normally it was her job to make someone feel nervous, having the tables turned never made her feel right. Harold wasn't judging her, she could tell that much, but she felt an overwhelming need to explain her disordered appearance. _'I could have at least worn a decent shirt…' _Joss chastised herself when Harold didn't immediately respond.

"Please, don't trouble yourself. There's a high likelihood you'll get _thrown up _on, and I wouldn't want you to ruin a perfectly good outfit because of that." He said the words throw up with a faint shutter; he had definitely experienced that much taking care of Leila. He moved out of the doorway, letting her enter. Joss' eyes widened as she took in the beautiful home.

"Oh, Harold, this place is amazing! It's right out of a magazine." Joss moved around and marveled as Harold stood just inside the doorway and smiled meagerly. The entryway had high vaulted ceiling that went straight to the roof, the kitchen and living room were one big room with an island acting as a divider. The living room had wonderfully big couches in a soft, earthy shade of green. Brown and orange accents gave it a warm feeling with out being overly tropical, like a hotel in Florida might be. The living room flowed effortlessly into the kitchen, taking the orange highlights with it. The cabinets were colonial inspired white with thick butcher-block countertops. Walnut hardwood floors covered the entire first floor that she could see, and to Joss' well-trained eyes they looked original. There were big, beautiful plants everywhere Joss looked; she knew she'd have no problem spending her days here. Harold watched her moving in and out of the rooms, watching for an appropriate pause to offer her the grand tour. Finally, Leila protested to being held and Joss looked at Harold.

"Oh, her playpen's in my office." Harold led Joss down a hallway that she hadn't noticed before, and opened a tall set of double doors. To Joss his office looked like a library. Three out of four walls were floor to ceiling bookcases with a large wooden desk in front of a set of bay windows. The desk played host to multiple computer monitors and there was a constant whirling noise in the background. Joss was a little dumbfounded at the scene.

"So is there where you hack into all those places?" Harold winced at the word.

"I don't _hack_, Joss. I merely let myself in. Hacking makes it sound so- violent." Harold flicked his hand to emphasize his point. Joss was arching an eyebrow at him, clearly not convinced.

"It's illegal." Harold returned an eyebrow arch. Joss huffed, knowing she had lost, and placed Leila in her jungle themed playpen. She immediately picked up the nearest toy and stuffed it into her mouth; drool ran down her chin. Joss smiled widely at the baby, and turned back to Harold.

"Would you like the grand tour?" Harold asked, holding out his hand like a butler. Joss cocked her head, and finally shook it.

"Yes." Ever the gentleman, Harold gestured for Joss to go first, as he quickly pocketed the baby monitor. In the hallway he held his elbow out for her to take. She slipped her slim arm through his and kept her pace with his slower gate. He pointed out the flooring, confirming that she had been right about them being original. The house was over a century old and had gone through many unfortunate renovations, he explained. He had bought it years ago and had been restoring it back to its original glory. She could feel his enthusiasm as he told her about the painstaking restoration. Harold was a lover of antiques, this she had been able to tell the first night she met him in that small restaurant for some explanations. His suit had practically screamed vintage, and he looked like he had stepped out of the late 30's. That style fit him well, as he looked quite handsome in his bold patterned waistcoats. She didn't know much about men's suits anymore but she knew his had to be in the thousands at least. Harold cleared his throat to get her attention; she had been staring at him for a few momenta, no longer listening to him.

"So, where's Leila's room?" Joss tried to recover. Harold's eyes lit up and he led her up the steel spiral stairs.

"These aren't original but I am a sucker for a spiral staircase." He pointed out as he limped up the stairs. Joss smiled, grateful he couldn't see her. She could spot Leila's room all the way from the starts. The pink and purple letters were unmistakable.

"May I?" Joss asked.

"Please." Harold once again held his hand out, reminding her of a butler. She carefully made her way to the end of the hall; she was always overly conscientious when she was in someone else's home. A habit she had from the force, she supposed. She turned the brass knob and walked into the room. The smell of baby power wafted in the air, bringing back memories of when Taylor was a baby. To Joss' surprise a tear pricked her eye and rolled down her cheek. A swell of emotions was threatening to overflow so she took solace in the plush rocking chair in the corner. She held back a sob at the thought of Taylor. He was almost ready to leave the nest, he wasn't a baby anymore, but he'd never stop being her baby. Having an episode of empty nest syndrome was the last thing she had expected to feel when she woke up, but she couldn't stop it now. There was a box of tissues stashed in the changing table so she helped her self to a few. She stifled a few more sobs, and dabbed her eyes. Maybe looking at Leila's things would help? She moved to the wall of bookshelves. The pictures of John and Leila made her laugh out loud. John was making an absurd face in almost all of them, except for one that had caught him smiling down at her as she was looking up at him and laughing. It was a beautiful picture that caused a tug in her belly. It wasn't looking at John that made her feel her biological clock at that moment. It was Leila. She was absolutely perfect. She had that wonderful baby smell, she was always ready to laugh, and smile, and she was going to be a heartbreaker with those big blue eyes. Those big blues drew in everyone that laid eyes on the infant, making them swoon and coo. She looked away from the picture as her attention was drawn to the walnut closet door, and she carefully opened it. The closet held the cutest baby clothes she had ever seen. Joss had always secretly hoped for a girl so she could dress her up in cute clothes like these; this closet was like walking into a dream that she was finally getting to live out. Joss finally had the chance to dress up a baby girl. It didn't matter to her that Leila wasn't hers; she was going to make sure that that kid was always stylish. She wiped her eyes again, and blew her nose, tossing the tissues into the little trashcan. She gathered herself and left Leila's room, trying her best to act as if she hadn't just had a little breakdown.

Harold wasn't in the hallway when she closed Leila's door behind her. Joss glanced around to make sure she wasn't going crazy, and realized that he must have gone downstairs to Leila. There were 3 other doors and the first one she opened was a linen closet. Doors number two and three were bound to be a bedroom and bathroom, nothing too special, so she went downstairs to find the duo sitting on the couch with a book.

"I don't think she can read yet, Harold." She smiled as she slipped her shoes off before sitting on the couch next to them. His blue orbs found her brown ones and they wrinkled as he smiled at her.

"I know, but I want her to be as informed as possible." He was completely serious.

"Well, I think she'll be okay for now if she doesn't know about Mr. McDonald's farm." Harold actually, genuinely laughed at her joke, it was a soft sound, but pleasing. Leila stuck her chubby fist in her mouth and started to whimper.

"Uh oh." Harold exclaimed softly. Joss was lost.

"What? What's wrong?"

"She's about to have a fit. This is the reason I need your help. I don't know what to do when she's like this. I feel… helpless." Harold looked absolutely pathetic to Joss, like a kitten that fell into the bathtub.

"Let me see her. I have a feeling about what's bothering our little angel." Joss felt that tug in her belly again as she said it and again when her hand brushed his as he handed the baby to her. She expertly pulled Leila's fist from her mouth and gently tugged her small lower lip to check her gums. Two hard, white, little rectangles were trying to breach the surface of her lower jaw. Joss kissed her patients forehead for being so good and looked at Harold.

"She's teething, Harold." He didn't look relieved.

"What do I do?"

"Well, you can put some whiskey on her bottles to numb her gums…" Harold's eyes widened.

"Or, you can buy some numbing gel, teething rings, and some teething cookies…" He blinked in relief. Joss looked at Leila and got an idea.

"Why don't I take her to the store with me and we'll get her what she needs and I'll get some stuff for us-I mean food, and stuff." Joss blushed, she hadn't meant for that to come out that way. Hopefully Harold hadn't noticed…

**-Poor Joss, Taylor will be flying the coop soon :(. Yeah, it ends a little abruptly, but we might get to find out why Harold has Leila in the next chapter! Grocery store cuteness, as well. And Leila is so gosh darn cute. Thanks for reading!-**


End file.
